April 20, 1912.] 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE, 



259 



P. Cooksonii, and P. Phoebus will soon develop 

 new roots, and should be either top-dressed 

 or repotted as is found necessary. A 

 similar mixture to that advised for Ly- 

 castes is suitable. The pots should be well 

 drained, as it is essential that water should pass 

 freely through the compost. Place the base of 

 the plant a little below the rim of the pot to 

 provide plenty of room for water at the roots. 

 The leaves should be sponged frequently with an 

 insecticide to keep down scale insects, this Orchid 

 being particularly subject to attacks by this pest. 

 The plants should be grown in an intermediate 

 temperature, and afforded a position where they 

 may receive plenty of air without being sub- 

 jected to draughts. 



Spathoglottis. — Snathoglottis Vipillardii, S. 

 Lobbii, S. aurea, S. Kimballiana, S. Fortunei, 

 S. ke wen sis, and hybrids, such as S. Colmanii 

 and S. Colmanii aurea, also need attention at 

 the roots. The plants require the temperature 

 of the warmest house, and should be well shaded 

 during bright days. When in full growth 

 they require a liberal supply of water at the 

 roots and frequent sprayings overhead. For pot- 

 ting use a compost similar to that recommended 

 for Lycastes and repot as advised for those 

 plants. 



PLANTS UNDER GLASS. 



By Thomas Stevenson, Gardener to E. Mocatta, Esq., 



Woburn Place, Addlestone, Surrey. 



Nerine. — These beautiful autumn -flowering 

 bulbous plants have almost completed their 

 growth, but they may still be watered sparingly 

 with liquid manure. At this stage they will do 

 best on a shelf in a moderately cool house, where 

 they will obtain all the sunlight possible. Nerines 

 require a long rest in order to flower success- 

 fully, therefore as soon as the foliage shows 

 signs of turning yellow water should be gradually 

 withheld at the roots, but the resting season 

 must not be precipitated by withholding water 

 suddenly or much harm may be done. 



Coleus thyrsoideus. — Cuttings of Coleus 

 thyrsoideus may be rooted now, obtaining then? 

 from plants that were cut down some time pre- 

 viously. They are best rooted in fair warmth, 

 and should be hardened quickly afterwards. 

 Grow the young plants on in an ordinary 

 brick pit, and afford them partial shade 

 during the summer. This treatment will ensure 

 the plants being quite hardy, and, if they aTe 

 stopped two or three times during their growing 

 season, bushy specimens may be grown in 6-inch 

 (32-size) pots. If the plants are afforded plenty 

 of food after being housed in the autumn they 

 will continue to bloom for a long period. The 

 flowers are a bright shade of blue, and especially 

 useful for the decoration of the conservatory. 



Gloriosa.— Gloriosas are growing rapidly in 

 the plant stove, and specimens started fairly 

 early in the season will probably be showing 

 flowers. When the blooms are developing the 

 plants will benefit by frequent applications of 

 weak liquid manure made, preferably, from cow 

 dung. It is essential that the pots be well 

 drained, so that surplus moisture may pass away 

 quickly. The best of the numerous varieties is 

 superba, the flowers of which are extremely use- 

 ful for vase and table decoration. 



Rhododendron indicum. — This plant is 

 best known in gardens as Azalea indica. As 

 specimens pass out of bloom the old flower-stems 

 enould be removed, taking care that the young 

 growths under the flowers are not injured in the 

 operation. Specimens that require potting may 

 be attended to in this respect. A mixture of 

 peat, leaf-mould and sand, with just a little loam 

 added forms a suitable compost, but do not add 

 sufficient loam to make the soil close. It is not 

 advisable to afford the plants too large pots ; the 

 receptacles should allow only sufficient room for 

 a rammer to be worked between the ball of the 

 plant and the pot to ensure firm potting. Old 

 plants that are growing straggly should be either 

 tied into shape or have the long, ungainly shoots 

 removed. After potting they should, if possible, 

 be placed in a house by themselves, kept fairly 



C -^ Se l and s > 7rin g ed for a time - Tni s will soon 

 rid them of insect pests unless they are badly in- 

 fested, when they should be fumigated on one or 



ff $ c £ asions - As growth develops air may be 

 afforded, but it is a great advantage to have the 



plants well furnished with new growth soon, as 

 they may then be hardened fairly early and 

 placed out-of-doors in a semi-shady position to 

 complete the process of bud formation ready 

 for an early start next season. Careful water- 

 ing is a very necessary precaution with Azaleas, 

 and. if the plants are intended to be grown for 

 a number of seasons, rain water should be used, 

 as lime is detrimental to them. 



THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 



By Edwin Beckktt, Gardener to the Hon. Vicart Gibbs, 



Aldenham House, Hertfordshire. 



Cardoons.- The most satisfactory method of 

 cultivating Cardoons, especially on light soils, 

 is to plant in trenches prepared as for Celery or 

 Peas. The sooner the trenches are made, the 

 better. Take out the soil to a depth of 2 feet 

 and the same in width ; break up the bottom and 

 add manure liberally, returning a few inches of 

 the excavated soil. Avoid sowing too early, 

 otherwise the plants may flower prematurely. 

 Early in May sow a pinch of seed at intervals of 

 18 inches in the row. and cover the seeds with a 

 little of the finest soil. When the young plants 

 are large enough thin each clump to a single speci- 

 men. 



Peas.— The planting of seedling Peas raised 

 in boxes should be proceeded with as they become 

 ready, staking them immediately after planting. 

 Protect the young plants from attacks of birds 

 and occasion ally dust the rows with soot. Seeds 

 sown in the open ground, and especially in gar- 

 dens where mice are troublesome, should be first 

 steeped in red-lead. Protect the seeds from the 

 birds by placing wire guards along the rows: 

 failing these, strands of black cotton will prove 

 useful. Sow only the very best varieties suitable 

 for the particular district. Duke of Albany, 

 Alderman, Edwin Beckett and Quite Content are 

 good varieties for mid-season supplies. Avoid 

 planting or sowing too thickly, and, where prac- 

 ticable, avoid overcrowing the rows. I much pre- 

 fer single rows, and these in dry seasons impart 

 beneficial shade to crops near to. 



Turnips. — The earliest Turnips out-of-doors 



will need partial thinning as soon as they are 

 large enough to handle. The growth of Turnips 

 in frames may be hastened by closing the lights 

 fairly early in the afternoon and damping the 

 foliage. Sow seeds in small quantities out-of- 

 doors for a succession of roots. 



Lettuce. — Frequent small sowings of Cos and 

 Cabbage varieties of Lettuce should be made. 

 Continue to plant Lettuces out in various posi- 

 tions for a regular supply, dusting them with 



soot. 



Tomatos 



with 



swelling will need considerable attention to keep 

 them in a healthy and vigorous condition. Water 

 must be afforded with great judgment, and whilst 

 carefully guarding against over-watering, it must 

 be borne in mind that more frequent applica- 

 tions of water at the roots will be necessary now 

 that the sun has increased in power, and if the 

 plants are at any time permitted to become too 

 dry, a poor crop will result. Assist the plants 

 regularly with properly-diluted liquid-manure, 

 and at intervals apply a top-dressing of fresh 

 soil, withholding the liquid stimulant until the 

 roots have penetrated the new soil. # If the pot 

 contains so much soil that top-dressings cannot 

 be added, a small quantity of finely-sifted loam 

 mixed with an equal amount of some suitable fer- 

 tilizer sprinkled on the top of the soil will assist 

 the plants. Remove the side shoots before they 

 become too large, and, in the case of the earliest 

 batch, stop the main shoot when a fair crop is 

 set. Admit plenty of air at all times when the 

 weather is favourable, and maintain a buoyant 

 atmosphere, using fire-heat if necessary. Unless 

 the foliage is very dense, I do not recommend 

 defoliating the plants at present. The fruits 

 should be gathered when they commence to 

 colour, and placed on a warm shelf to ripen. 

 By gathering them before they are fully ripe, the 

 fruits are not liable to crack. 



CucuMBERS.-The growths should be stopped 

 and regulated at least once a week to train the 

 plants evenly on the trellis. Syringe the plants 

 twice dailv, wetting the undersides of the foliage. 

 Maintain a humid atmosphere, and if red spider 

 is present, syringe the foliage again late in the 



afternoon. If there are evaporating troughs on 

 the hot-water pipes, keep them filled with strong 

 manure-water, and sprinkle manure-water 

 on the pathways as a preventive of attacks 

 of red spider. Vigorous plants will require 

 frequent top-dressings of soil, to which a- 

 small proportion of manure has been added. 

 Copious applications of water must be given, for 

 dryness at the root results in a poor crop of bitter 

 fruits. Manure-water diluted to proper propor- 

 tions is a valuable stimulant. Sow seeds as often 

 as may be necessary for successional crops ; at 

 this season young plants quickly come into bear- 

 ing, and are more fruitful than older plants. 

 Tomatos growing in pits or frames must be pro- 

 tected carefully by covering the glass with mats 

 on cold nights. The necessary watering of the 

 roots and regulating of the shoots should only W 

 done during warm weather. 



THE APIARY. 



By Chloris. 



Purchasing Bees in Straw Skeps. — Bee* 



are often purchased at this season of the year in 

 straw skeps, because, if the combs are old, there 

 is little fear of them breaking, owing to the 

 store of hor.ey being small. It is difficult for an 

 amateur to judge whether a stock is strong and 

 healthy when purchased in this manner. . The 

 combs of a good colony should be free from 

 mould, quite straight, and reach to the bottom 

 of the hive. When the combs are pushed aside, 

 all those in the centre should be well filled with 

 sealed brood, which can be easily seen. 



Examining a Colony and Removing It. 



•In order to examine a stock, have the smoker 

 well alight, and puff smoke into the hive at 

 the entrance. In less than a minute the bees will 

 have gorged themselves sufficiently to permit of 

 the hive being overturned, and, immediately this 

 is done, puff smoke between the combs to drive 

 the bees down. They may be removed on a dull 

 day early in the morning or late in the evening. 

 Proceed as before when about to remove the skep, 

 and, as soon as the hive is overturned and the 

 bees driven down, cover the bottom with a cheese 

 cloth and tie the cloth tightly. The skep should 

 be carried to its destination mouth upwards. 



Bar-framed Hives. — Some bee-keepers place 

 the skep above frames fitted with full sheets 

 of wired foundation, when the queen will go- 

 below. After there is no further room for tho 

 queen to lay her eggs, place a sheet of queen - 

 excluding zinc between the brood chamber and 

 the skep ; in three weeks' time those bees above 

 may be driven and added to the established 

 colony. This is not an economical method, nor 

 one to be recommended. It is best to drive 

 the bees and cut out the combs containing brood 



FlG. 122. — SECURING THE COMB IN A FRAME. 



1, Tapes; 2, Brood. 



and lay them on several layers of soft cloth, so 

 that the sealed brood may not be injured. Over 

 the comb place an empty frame and cut the comb 

 so that it will fit the frame. Tie it with 

 tapes as shown in fig. 122, so that the top 

 of the comb touches the top bar, for, if any 

 space be left, the bees will not seal it in. Place 

 the brood comb in the centre of the hive and 

 that containing honey on the outsides, to be 

 replaced when emptied by full sheets of wired 

 foundation. When all the combs are fitted 

 in the frames, throw the bees out of the skep on 

 the alighting board of the bar-frame hive. The 

 whole operation of driving, fitting up the combs 

 and returning the bees to the hive must be done 

 expeditiously, or the brood may be chilled and 

 killed. It is best to perform the operation on a 

 warm" day. The tapes may be removed as soon, 

 as the combs are sealed to the top bar, which will 

 be done by the bees in two or three days. 



